Ranma B Riddick
by The Vale
Summary: What if the Nekoken went differently? What if the Springs of Sorrow weren't cursed, but something far more sinister? What if Ranma weren't so innocent? Look through the gates dear friend, and see what might have been.


**Disclaimer: **Riddick belongs to someone else. Ranma ½ belongs to someone else. All original names ideas and made up words belong to me.

**Ranma B. Riddick**

**By**

**World Bringer**

They say most of your brain shuts down in cryo sleep. All but the primitive side. The animal side. No wonder I'm still awake. Usually reserved for the long haul between stars. I guess the old man figured it was the only way to control me. Taking me back to Japan, only this time we're on a boat instead of swimming. The difference is, it takes longer on the shipping lanes, especially on a little frigate like this. Then again, all it takes is time.

* * *

"Come on son. The Tendo's are expecting us." 

Shoulda guessed the old man would turn me in again eventually. He always was an opportunistic bastard. Probably only waited this long so he could get a better bounty. Haven't heard of the Tendo's though. Must be a private bounty. Interesting.

"Maybe they're expecting you old timer. No one ever expects me."

The way I say it, no emotion, just stating a fact. I can tell it gets to him. He pokes me in the back with his rifle to get me to move it. Even wrapped in chains and a straight jacket he knows to keep a weapon on me. After all, it's because of him I've become what I am.

I keep my hair short these days. Learned my lesson in slam. Never give your opponent something to hold onto in a fight. I'd seen men get killed because they didn't realize that. Looking up I read the sign over the gate as the transport pulls away. Tendo Dojo. The place looks nice, as nice as anything man made looks to me nowadays. It's the smell that makes me stop though. I take in a deep breath and just let the scents play through my mind before Genma nudges me with the rifle again.

Those smells. This place doesn't smell like most human buildings. With most I can smell the stench of the humanity that has passed within, the sickening scent of the domestic animal. Here is something different. I cam smell the perfumes of flowers in the garden, the slight coolness of water, a pond maybe, and food cooking. What's really unique though is the scent of people. There are three females, one male. Their scents seem different somehow. This could be even more interesting than I thought.

* * *

"Fiancée!" 

The sound of the three young women's shout was ineffective against the man who sat before them.

Soun Tendo closed his eyes as his daughters began to question him rapidly.

"Is he cute?"

"How old is he? Younger men are so… young."

"How could you do this to us?"

"What's his name? What does he look like?"

Soun sweat dropped slightly as he answered the final question posed by his daughter Nabiki.

"His name is Ranma Saotome. He is the son of an old friend of mine who used to train under the same master. I've never met him before."

Silence settled over the household shortly before his youngest daughter Akane erupted in anger.

"How could you do this to us daddy? Engaging us to someone you've never even met before! He could be some kind of pervert."

Soun smiled brightly as he replied.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem. He's arriving today and then we can all meet him."

Just then a knock sounded from the front door of the house. Nabiki was the first to react, shortly followed by her father as they both rushed to the front door.

"Ooh, I bet that's him. I hope he's cute."

* * *

The door opened up as pops retracted his hand back over my shoulder. He's getting a bit lax. I could have killed him just now if I had wanted to. Guess he's feeling confident because I haven't made a move yet. Good. 

"Hello old friend…"

Two people at the door. One old man, smells like he's a smoker. The other is a girl about my age, short hair. The old guy looks like he might have been on par with my old man once upon a time. Now he's week, like a cat without its claws. Still has teeth though, and claws can grow back, given time. But the girl. Now she is something else. I step into her personal space, the chains hanging off me rattling. She looks calm, barely flinches when I lean in close to sniff her neck. I lean my head around her neck and face a little, inhaling her scent deeply.

The old man decides to interrupt me by putting that damn gun to my back and moving me forward into the house. The girl is blushing by now. I smile slightly as I lean down, putting my mouth next to her ear before I'm pushed past her and into the living room.

"Beautiful."

Looking around the living room I can see that the place is well cared for. Sitting at a table low to the ground are two more girls. One looks angry, the other peaceful, but both seem shocked at seeing me. I chuckle a little at the expression on their faces. The youngest one seems to be offended by that. I think I might give her a haircut. Long hair doesn't suit her.

* * *

Reaching the door shortly before her father Nabiki opens it with a smile on her face. That smile soon turns to surprise and a little fear as she sees exactly who waits on the other side. 

"Hello old friend…"

Her fathers greeting fades to nothing as he too succumbs to shock at seeing his old friend pointing a gun at the boy wrapped in a straight jacket and chains.

Nabiki freezes up as the boy steps forward, dark wraparound sunglasses hiding his eyes from view. She flinches slightly as he leans in closer, wondering what he is going to do. She barely suppresses a shiver as he inhales deeply through his nose. He's… smelling me?

His head moves slowly around her field of vision almost like a snake being charmed, down and across to her shoulder, up to her hair, head tilting slightly, then back across to the other side, coming close enough that she can feel the heat from his skin but never touching. A blush rises on her cheeks and she tries to remain as still as possible, feeling as though the slightest move will leave her in danger.

"Beautiful."

She hears the whisper next to her ear, his voice caressing the word and making her blush deeply. And then he is gone, moving past her deeper into the house.

Bringing herself out of her shock, ignoring her embarrassment, Nabiki quickly turns and follows the two strange men into the living room. She arrives just in time to hear a low chuckle from the boy in the straight jacket.

* * *

"What the hell are you laughing at!" 

Akane was livid. How dare this guy just waltz into her house and laugh at her. Never mind the fact that he was in a straight jacket tied in enough chains to sink a small boat, or the fact that a fat man in a dirty gi was pointing a rifle at him. Her anger was beginning to grow as he continued to look around the room, seemingly ignoring her.

"Why you…"

"Akane stop!"

The voice of her father cutting through her haze of anger she began to stutter slightly, trying to find a reason to throw the punch she had reared back to deliver.

"But…"

"That is quite enough. Now sit down."

Grumbling under her breath slightly she did as Soun told her. Turning away from his daughters Soun directed his attention to the man holding the rifle.

"Genma, what is the meaning of this? Why have you brought a gun into my home?"

"I apologize Tendo, I am afraid that it was necessary. Let me take the boy up to the attic and then I will explain."

* * *

Genma spent several minutes chaining Ranma to the support beams in the attic in such a way that he would be unable to gain leverage to break free. This method would also make it difficult for him to break the chains or the support beams they were attached to. After putting the last padlock in place Genma checked the tension on the chains one last time before joining the Tendo's who sat around their living room table awaiting Genma's explanation. 

Looking around to ensure he had everyone's undivided attention, Genma sat down, and placing his rifle at his side prepared himself to answer the Tendo's questions. Soun was the first to begin.

"Saotome, why is there a young man chained up in my attic? Where is your son and why are you carrying a gun? You know it is against the prime tenements of the school to utilize weapons."

Akane blinked. 'I didn't know that' she thought.

Genma nodded his head sagely in response before making his reply.

"Be that as it may Tendo, it was necessary to keep the boy in line. Even chained as he is he can still cause great harm."

Soun's eyes widened slightly at this.

"You mean the boy upstairs is dangerous enough for you to resort to carrying a gun! And you brought him into my home! What were you thinking!"

By this time his voice had risen to a shout and he was standing above his old training partner in a threatening manner. Genma however did not flinch, merely taking a sip of the tea the eldest Tendo daughter had placed before him.

"Sit down Tendo."

About to continue on his rant Soun gave pause at the note of seriousness in Genma's voice. Resuming his place at the table across from Saotome he asked in a much calmer though still agitated tone of voice what had happened to the younger Saotome. Where was he?

"He is the boy in the attic."

Soun had had far too many shocks in too short a time, though this one was somewhat expected.

"I see. Tell us what happened."

Genma nodded, taking a sip of his tea before beginning.

"It all started twelve years ago…"

* * *

Flashback>

"Daddy, do I have to wear all this? It stinks."

The speaker was a young boy, no more than six years old, swathed from head to toe in fish products.

"Stop acting like a little girl. You are a martial artist; a little bad smell shouldn't bother you!"

The young boy nodded his head firmly and turned around so his father could finish his preparations.

Taking the last of the fish from its storage in the yattai and placing it on his sons back, Genma looked at his work in pride as an idea struck him.

'If fish stuff works I'm sure putting everything on would be even better!'

And so he went to work loading his son up with every manner of meat product he could lay his hands on, completely clearing out the yattai.

"There you go boy. Are you ready?"

Ranma nodded, a look of fierce determination on his face. Genma smiled in pride at his son's fearlessness.

"Ok then boy, over you go."

So saying Genma grabbed his son by the back of his gi and threw him over the high wall that separated the street they were standing on from Kanzai Zoo's most recent exhibit. Known as the 'Jungle Pit' it was a recreation of a jungle and a forest, with plants from both found growing thickly in the large area. There were even several caves, a river and a waterfall scattered within its boundaries. What truly set the exhibit aside however were the animals it contained. A pair of white Bengal tigers, three panthers, one puma and a jaguar. (1)

Genma had heard of the exhibit from several incredulous store owners who could not believe that such dangerous predators were put in the same place whilst he had been stealing the meat to train the boy in the Nekoken. Upon hearing of the powerful felines Genma had concluded that if a pit of house cats could release one of the most powerful and feared martial arts techniques in the world, then obviously if you used bigger and stronger jungle cats then you would create a bigger and stronger technique!

'Now my son will become the greatest martial artist of this age! My future is assured! It is time to celebrate!'

And so began a drinking binge that left Genma unable to claim his son until ten days later.

End Flashback>

* * *

"WHAT!" 

The incredulous shouts from around the table interrupted Genma's tale of events. Even Kasumi, who until now had remained silent, spoke up at this gross act of cruelty and negligence.

"Oh my, how could you Mr. Saotome?"

"Yeah that's just going too far!" chimed in Nabiki.

"To a six year old no less!" concluded Akane.

"I have to say that I agree with my daughters Saotome. Though the path of the martial artist is fraught with peril, throwing your own flesh and blood into the den of such dangerous animals is unforgivable."

Genma said nothing to refute the allegations laid against him. Instead he lowered his head and took another sip of his tea before replying.

"I know, though I did not realize at the time. When I went back to claim the boy ten days later he had changed. He was covered in blood with wounds all over his body. It is amazing that he was still alive, though many of his injuries seemed to be half healed already. I immediately took him and left town, washing him up at a river outside of the city to find out how badly hurt he was. Most of his wounds were surprisingly shallow and there seemed no reason to take him to hospital so we set up camp and turned in for the night.

"Over the next several days the wounds he had were practically gone, only the very worst leaving any scars, and those had been half healed when I retrieved him. The ability to heal so quickly was obviously a side effect of the technique, so I did not think much of it.

"Several weeks later I noticed that the boy's movements had changed, he was more aware of his surroundings, his senses far more precise and sensitive than those he possessed before the Nekoken. His movements began to remind me of a Yautja, or a predator, like those of the jungle cats, full of power and grace, with a danger to them, even at the young age of six. His fighting style became more brutal and efficient and his skills began to increase rapidly.

"By the time he was thirteen he could already defeat me easily. We had been traveling off world for some time, arriving at the Arena World. I believed that it would challenge him, push him to the next level to be pitted against the fighters there. During our stay there he killed a man for the first time. The man was a Keldan Swordsmaster, fully armed and armored and Ranma killed him with his own weapon. Many had thought such a feat impossible. I thought such an act impossible. We left the planet soon after, moving on to the Lupis system. (2)

* * *

Flashback>

"Alright, numbers 20846 and 29576, you're up next. Cage 19. Get to the gates."

"Alright boy, get going."

Genma patted his sons shoulder companionably as the young boy, barely a teenager, got up from the long mess hall table and followed the tall swordsman whose number had also been called by the fight coordinator.

As the two passed him by moving towards Cage 19, the fight coordinator took stock of young man going into the fight. Only thirteen years old the man could tell the boy knew how to fight. He had the right build and held himself as a trained fighter would. The man shook his head sadly. Number 20846 was a Keldan Swordsmaster. Out of the four hundred fights he had participated in on Arena World he had killed four hundred and eighty two of his opponents. Perfect win percentage, perfect kill percentage. The kid was as good as dead.

Looking at the man walking in front of him, Ranma began to asses his opponent. The man was tall, over six feet, and wore a set of Keldan armor. Covering his chest was plate armor with a set of centimeter long spikes protruding from the shoulder guards that could be used to wound an opponent in a shoulder charge or to catch an opponent's weapon. Added to this he wore spiked arm and ankle guards that could be used as a weapon, to defend from a weapon or even act as a sword breaker.

Carried across his back was a sword design Ranma recognized as a Sīhuĭròu or Tearing Flesh. Nearly as tall as Ranma himself the sword had no sheath, instead held in place by a magnetic plate. The blade was straight and double edged, tapering from base to razor point, almost looking like a giant toothpick. This in itself did not make the blade unique. What set the Sīhuĭròu apart from all others was its unique edge. Rather than being flat and straight as a normal sword the edge of the Sīhuĭròu was slightly rippled and at some points even zigzagging sharply. This pattern existed along the entire length of the blade, causing it to catch and rip an opponent's flesh when slashed or stabbed. Of course against an armored opponent the blade would cut through most metals, being forged of an alloy only created in the smelters of Forsith 7, forged and tempered by the smithies of the Keldan system and as such never needing to be sharpened. However it would still catch the metal in such situations and be difficult to remove.

Moving his observations on to the man himself, Ranma took note of the man's confidence in that he had never looked back to see who the opponent following him was. Nor did he seem to care that said opponent was observing his movements and judging his skill level. After appraising the man again to be sure he had not missed any details, Ranma decided he was less skilled than Genma. An easy win.

All this ran through Ranma's mind as he observed his opponent on the short trek through well lit corridors to Cage 19. Upon reaching the large metal hanger doors with the number 19 painted on them in blue, the Keldan finally turned his head to the left to get a look at his opponent.

"HAhaha! A child sent to face me? Tell me boy, how is it you plan to defeat me where nearly five hundred have died at my hands? How is it you hope to walk out of this battle alive, little girl? Then again, maybe it would be better to keep you alive. Then I could have some 'fun' with you. How does that sound? BWAhaha!"

Ranma narrowed his eyes slightly, never taking them of the doors in front of him. Until this moment he had only intended to humiliate his opponent. Now he was gonna die.

"First I'm gonna take that sword of yours, and then I'm gonna shove it down your throat."

The calm cold way in which he said this caused the man beside him to pause a moment in his mirth as a chill of premonition went down his spine before he burst into laughter once more.

Wiping imaginary tears from his eyes even as the doors in front of the two began to open, the Keldan looked at Ranma with a cruel smirk on his face, all his false mirth disappearing in an instant.

"I'm gonna make you scream for that."

Walking out into the traditional fighting pit that was Cage 19, crowd roaring for blood from atop the walls, safe behind the cage fence and invisible laser defense grid, making bets on the upcoming fight, Ranma turned to face his opponent slowly as the gate that gave them entrance to the pit closed up. Rolling his head to each side and shrugging his shoulders, several cracks could be heard from his neck and back.

"Let's go."

Quickly taking the blade from his back, the Keldan wasted no time in charging his seemingly unprepared opponent. Holding his sword in his right hand, parallel to the ground in a line with his arm at shoulder height he prepared to cut downwards across his opponent's chest shallowly, to cause as much pain as possible.

Ranma simply shook his head as the man drew nearer.

"It's over…"

Stepping forward into the attack just as the man began his slash, Ranma turned sideways so he was facing the slash. Moving faster than should be possible, he raises his right foot up in a kick at the hand wielding the sword, narrowly missing the spikes from the fighters arm bracers, shattering his opponents hand and sending the sword flying. Not stopping his attack the Keldan simply throws his left hand forward in a punch, intending to put his arm spikes to use.

Foot extended and still following through from his kick Ranma turns his momentum into a flip, left foot following his right to put him into a tight barrel roll over the swordsman's arm. After completing a half a turn facing in the direction of his opponent Ranma extends his left leg away from his body, completing a full turn to the barrel roll as the sword landed in the palm his outstretched right arm.

Bringing his left leg down behind his opponents back even whilst hooking his right around the Keldan's neck, Ranma hooked his left foot behind his opponents left thigh, using the force of his spin and the mans neck as leverage, causing him to stumble to him knees whilst keeping his body upright.

Setting his left hand on the Keldan's left shoulder, fingers splayed to avoid the spikes in the armor, Ranma redirected his momentum to swing his right leg straight up, bringing his left up also so that he was doing a one armed handstand on his opponents shoulder, sword held in his extendedright hand. Using his grip his opponents shoulder guard, fingers played to avoid the metal spikes Ranma swung himself down and around in a twisting motion to stand in front of the man.

Waiting just long enough for the Keldan's eyes to widen in realization, Ranma grabbed his neck, forcing his head back with one hand before his opponent had the time to react, still on his knees from the first exchange, and slammed the mans own sword into his open mouth, driving it down his throat until only the hilt was visible.

The crowd became deadly silent after witnessing this exchange, too shocked to make a sound as Ranma released the now dead mans neck and sword, allowing his body to slump sideways. Looking down on the body coldly, Ranma's mouth twitched into a small smirk.

"I told you I was gonna do that."

The crowd erupted in cheers and catcalls as they went wild, seeming to want to make up for their earlier silence. Ranma simply turned and walked out the now open hanger doors, expressionless once more.

End Flashback>

* * *

"He was fourteen by the time we reached Lupis Five. Shortly after arriving on the planet I took some time to relax and got drunk at a place called 'The Rat Hole'. That's when a group of mercenaries running a slavers outfit came by. They saw him and thought he'd be easy picking, and you can get a good price for a strong and healthy boy on the mining colonies. He killed five men that night, and I was too drunk to stop him, just not drunk enough to forget. Oh god how I wish I could forget. The authorities put out a warrant with a bounty of ten thousand on his head, to be taken alive because he was so young. Forty two men died trying to take him in. By then the bounty was up to four hundred thousand, increasing with every man he killed, every mercenary who failed. 

"After a while I turned him in to the authorities on Lupis Prime. It was getting too dangerous, mercenaries getting more ruthless, one even kidnapping a girl he helped after she fell, no more relation than that and holding her hostage to get him to give up. The Lupis High Judge put him into the custody of Jusenkyo, or 'Springs of Sorrow'. It's a Triple Max prison planet, covered in thousands of pools filled with acid. No daylight in the prison, poisonous atmosphere outside, acid flowing freely in the lowest levels. No body ever escaped, a lot of people don't survive at all. Most thought it was impossible to get away.

"He escaped three months ago. I was drifting around the Toran System, trying to drink myself into forgetting. That's when Jusenkyo called me in to find him. No one else but me and a few Mercs even know he escaped. Jusenkyo wants to keep the information secret, so they don't lose their reputation. This means if he can stay of the radar he's a free man.

"But now he's even more dangerous than before. He survived down there for four years, and it changed him. This gun is the only edge I have on him, and that's not much. The only reason I caught him at all is because his eyes are so sensitive to light. I managed to blind him with a glow stick after I got his glasses off. I had the hope that perhaps here, amongst a happy family he could rediscover his humanity. That is why I brought him to your home."

Soun stared hard at Genma for a few moments before nodding slowly.

"You can't actually be buying that story?" Akane exclaimed incredulously.

Soun simply looked at her sternly before stating.

"Saotome is not lying. I had heard about the young boy's incarceration four hears ago. It was all over the news, though the name he used was Ranma B. Riddick. Merely an alias to protect the family name I believe?"

Soun once more looked towards Genma as he asked this question. In response Genma chuckled slightly, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Well, now the thing about that is… he has forsaken the family name. Right now, Saotome is his alias, though I hope the boy will come to his senses."

"…I see…"

* * *

Hmm. The old man's telling them lies. Wonder why. Doesn't seem like a bounty after all. Maybe the old man has something else in mind. Wonder what's gonna happen when they find out what really happened. I think I'll stick around for a while. Things are going get very interesting indeed. Let the fun begin. 

A slow grin spread across his face in the shadows of the attic, his eyes still hidden behind a pair of wraparound sunglasses.

Ranma B. Riddick was back. And this time, it was a whole new game.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

(1) It would never happen, but this is my reality and people are stupid.

(2) The Lupis System is taken directly from Chronicles of Riddick. Lupis 5 is a Merc base where Jack (Keera) went to learn after Riddick left in order to try and find him.

I wrote this because the idea came to my whilst I had a bad case of writers block as I was watching Chronicles of Riddick at 3am after 8 hours of reading Ranma fanfics. I've never read a crossover like this so I thought, why not?

Unfortunately, there won't be much more coming out of this for a long time unless I get a co-author to help out. Just about all the names for the planets, systems and weapons that will appear have been made up. I think Kanzai is a real place though.

Sīhuĭròu is a word created from the Chinese words for flesh and tearing.

Reviews are appreciated. So are Omakes.


End file.
